Siblings
by AmbushImagine
Summary: Pollux notices Piper's relationship with Drew and tries to convince them to try and pull it off. When the question 'why' rises, Pollux relives all his memories of Castor's death. Dedicated to an amazing friend of mine that I'll never forget.


_**This is a dedication to one of my best friends; Amri. I love you like a sister and I'm sorry I never had a chance to say good-bye properly before I left the country.**_

Pollux hadn't seen this coming. Never did, and never would. Of course, they were all getting ready for the battle. They held their shields high and sheathed their swords. But before they were ready to charge into battle, Pollux had that horrible feeling in his chest.

This was _battle. _This was _war._

He cast a worried look at his half-brother. Castor was polishing his shield, looking way too nonchalant for Pollux's liking. His heart sinking, Pollux remember their conversation from last night.

_"I don't care what she's done to you, Castor, You're acting like the living dead. "_

_Castor, his face etched with hurt, looked up at Pollux. "You don't understand!" He swallowed. "Why am I not surprised you don't? Why do you always act like you're the responsible one, Pollux? Why do you suddenly care?"_

_The words burned Pollux, but he tried to hide that . "Castor, I don't-"_

_"Leave, Pollux!" Castor yelled. Those words stung even more_

_"Wh-what?"_

_"Just leave me alone, for Olympus' sake. I hate you!"_

Castor did notice Pollux's eyes on him. But Pollux just realized that no matter how hurt he was, Castor must have been hurt even worse. He was heart-broken, so of course he would say a few things he didn't mean...right? Pollux hoped so. But he knew that being realistic, there was a big chance something, well, wrong would happen.

According to Percy and Annabeth, there would be hordes of monsters, and traitor demigods lead by probably none other than Luke (or Kronos) himself. They were outnumbered, and the odds were not in their favor to say in the least. There was a good chance one of them might get captured, or severely wounded There was an even bigger chance they might not make it alive. Pollux thought that he had to fix things with Castor.

In the end, he was his half-brother, and Pollux loved him. Staring at him in the row behind, Pollux wanted nothing than to pull Castor in a hug and apologize over and over again. If Pollux would die, he wanted Castor to know how sorry he was. He didn't want one of them to die thinking the other had resented them. In fact, despite popular belief, the children of Dionysus did look ahead and accept reality.

And this was the real world. Where the monsters were, and where the deaths happened. Pollux cast one more look at Castor. He wanted to go and ask Castor to forgive him. He wasn't even sure if he deserved it, but he had to try at least.

Pollux intended to move, but his legs betrayed him. They were fixed into place, as if they were embedded into the camp ground. Shaking his head and forcing his limbs to move, Pollux made his way to the line behind him.

Castor was still polishing his shield, looking ready for battle and standing beside some Ares kids.

He looked up and saw Pollux, who was biting his lip and staring at him nervously. "What do you want, Pollux?" Castor said calmly. Pollux stared at the ground...He wanted to embrace Castor and tell him he sorry; sorry for being such a jerk, sorry for not understanding him better, sorry for being such a horrible _brother._ But no words came out. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't seem to swallow his stupid pride.

"Castor!" a voice called. Their heads turned to look at Clarisse, who was leading three of the twelve cabins into battle. "We need you at the front defense lines. Gather up your stuff and hurry, I think they're coming!"

"Got it!" Castor yelled back. He then looked back a Pollux. "You have anything to say?"

Pollux opened his mouth again, only to be lost for words. "I-I just...Castor, I'm..." _Stupid, just say sorry!_

His lips betraying him an his pride refusing to give in, Pollux decided interacting physically would have to be enough. He pulle Castor into a hug.

"Good luck, brother." he muttered. Castor didn't hug him back. But nor did he push him away, either. He just stood there, lost for words. Finally, Castor managed half a smile and awkwardly patted Pollux's shoulder.

"You too," The he ran off to the defense lines. Pollux felt like an idiot. He didn't even do half the things he wanted to.

Sighing and feeling miserable, Pollux muttered an 'I love you' that went unheard by anyone, much less his brother.

_*DTB*_

At hearing his half-brother scream, Pollux's heart almost stopped in horror. He ran to him immediately, forgetting about the battle, about the monsters, about everyone.

All that he knew was that his little brother was hurt, somehow.

Castor lied there a spear poking through his gut. He looked so vulnerable in that position, as red dyed the patch of grass around him, his shirt beneath the armor leaking blood.

"CASTOR!" Pollux was by his side in a heart beat. He held his hand, told him it would be okay. The Apollo kids would heal him...They would use nectar, ambrosia, _anything. _But nothing seemed to reassure Castor. Pollux was left, watching the life slowly drain out of his little brother.

"Castor, don't do this to me!" Pollux said. His pride seemed to have vaporized, and he was now looking around desperately, waiting for someone to come to their aid.

Castor just laughed. He smiled at Pollux, then gave his hand a squeeze. Then, his body crew colder. This eyes froze still, and didn't move anymore.

_*TL*_

"Piper! Wait, Piper!" Pollux yelled. Said daughter of Aphrodite paused before entering Leo's giant bronze ship. She raised her eyebrows at Pollux in question.

Pollux scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Um, Piper, before you go to the Roman Camp and...you know, head into war and all..."

Piper inclined her head in question. "Yes?"

"I was kind of hoping you would...um, I don't know..fix it with Drew?"

The words hit Piper in the face like Coach Hedge's club. "What?" she snorted. "Why?"

Pollux bit his lip nervously. "Um, see, thing is; we're going into war and...well, we don't know what's going to happen and-and-"

"Drew wouldn't want me to fix it with her if her life depend on it, Pollux." Piper said softly.

Pollux sighed. "I know, Piper. I really do." He stared distantly at his cabin. "But sometimes, no matter how much your siblings intended to be jerks to toward you, and no matter how much you _know _they don't deserve your forgiveness, or you don't theirs, it's just...well, it's better to clear the air."

Piper put a hand on the older boy's shoulder. She of course, knew the story of Castor. "I'll try, Pollux. I promise."

Pollux blinked some tears out of his eyes. "You know, Piper? Sometimes I feel like he didn't forgive me at all. I wanted to tell him that I loved him, and that he was the best brother I could have wished for. But I just let my stupid pride get in the way." he looked at Piper helplessly. "I sometimes still think he died thinking I hated him, or that he hated me. It's so...so,"

Piper looked him straight in the eyes. "I understand, Pollux." she smiled, and shot a glance at the Aphrodite cabin. "And you know what? You're right about Drew. She is an idiot, but she's my sibling too. And as for Castor," she continued, turning her gaze back to Pollux.

"I know he loved you, Pollux. I just know it with every inch of Aphrodite in me, even though I sometimes hate that I have her genes. But I know it. The fight you two had was nothing, and siblings fight all the time." she took her hand away from Pollux's shoulder.

"And in the end, you know what they say." Piper smirked at him. "Hate is just a special kind of love you give to people who are sometimes jerks. But it's love, anyway."

Having said so, Piper ran to bid her siblings good-bye for the last time before war and blood reigned over them.


End file.
